


Tension and the Terror

by Ithinkwehaveanemergency



Series: Pillars of Colonial Homes [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: But Sterek wishes it was, Derek Hale is a Softie, Gen, Good Theo Raeken, M/M, McCall Pack, Pack Bonding, Sterek is not canon, kind of, pining theo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2019-01-07 18:32:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12238368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithinkwehaveanemergency/pseuds/Ithinkwehaveanemergency
Summary: Theo knows he doesn't deserve anything Liam's prepared to give him.  The thing is, it's in his nature to be selfish.  And it's terrifying that Liam squashes every selfish instinct he has.Derek Hale tries to help, probably because he knows how it feels to think he doesn't deserve nice things.Or, a two-part installment of how Derek Hale's 30th birthday party is a major success in more ways than one.





	1. We're All the Same Age Here

**Author's Note:**

> "And I'm going straight to hell.  
> All the possibility and promise just,  
> Weighs on me so heavily."  
> -The Tension and the Terror, by Straylight Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And I try but I'm not convincing,  
> Your lips they pout and twist and,  
> I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you."  
> -The Tension and the Terror, Straylight Run

The Geyer house was filled with the buzz of music, laughter, video game sounds, and enthusiatic cheers.

Theo sat alone in the kitchen, picking at a mostly devoured gourmet cheese plate. He heard the joyful squeals of Lydia edging out her boyfriend for a Mario Kart victory, and the subsequent cheering of spectators as Stiles accused Jackson and the Sheriff of collusion.

Derek walked into the kitchen with a smile and went to cut himself a piece of cake for the 3rd time that night.

"It's not your party."  Derek jeered at Theo. "You can't cry, even if you want to."

"Whatever, old man."  Theo grinned half-heartedly.  "I spit in your cake."

Derek growled, but then took a bite in defiance and sat down next to the brooding chimera.

"So, I've been talking to Stiles-" Derek started.

"Just talking?" Theo teased.

"Not all of us are home wreckers, kid." Derek raised an eyebrow in judgement.

"So, I see." Theo rolled his eyes. "He's been giving you an update on what a monster I am?"

Derek shrugged and picked at his cake.

"Was.  Yeah." Derek corrected.  He sighed, then took a bite, speaking through a mouthful of lemon cake and vanilla frosting "Buh den he seh you 'minded him ov me."

"Try that again?" Theo laughed, eyebrows drawn in confusion. "I though you said that I reminded him of you."

"I kno'wite?" Derek nodded enthusiastically and finally swallowed. "I thought he was nuts too, but then like..." Derek frowned and shrugged, "...he's not wrong."

Theo's eyes widened in disbelief. Derek just nodded at him sadly, stuffing another piece of cake in his mouth. He poked at the frosting like it offended him as he chewed and swallowed the delicious present.

Stiles, Mason and Corey had finished the cake in time for the party, despite Liam's persistent attempts to slow them down.

Theo had happily watched from the living room, Liam coming over every once in a while (probably in the moments that Liam could sense him starting to feel sad or stressed about the past day) just to run a hand through his hair and assure him that he needed him to come with them to the party - that they needed to stick together right now.

Stiles had left to go check on how the rest of the pack was doing on the repairs and decorations to the McCall house, only to come back with the others and lots of boxes full of drinks and decorations. He had let himself in the Geyer abode, declaring without explanation that having the party there was the new plan.

Theo and Liam had noticed Melissa glance over at Stiles gratefully, so they raised no objections.

The Geyer house had been empty for a couple weeks.  Liam's parents had conveniently been on a cruise during the War for Beacon Hills.

The large group put together a nice set up with an array of snacks and the finished cake.  They wrapped the gifts that they bought for the birthday boy.

Scott and the Sheriff had delivered Derek a couple hours later under the premise of everyone wanting to say goodbye before he left, and the surprise party was a success.

The party had dwindled down.

Theo found himself in unexpected company while the younger pack members rough housed in the pool with their Alpha and his girlfriend, and the rest of the pack (with the Londoners, Peter, Chris, the Sheriff and Melissa) resumed the Mario Kart tournament.

Derek Hale, despite it being his birthday, had apparently decided it was time for a heart-to-heart with Beacon Hill's resident badboy.

"I left for a long time." Derek cleared his throat. "I'm sure you know that, but I mean... No one really talks about why."

"I thought it was because it was too hard to be where the fire had happened." Theo shrugged. "You know I lived here for that, right?"

"Stiles mentioned, yeah" Derek pushed his cake to the side and propped his elbows on the counter. "And no, that wasn't why I left the last time. I left because I started to find a way to forgive myself."

Theo frowned in confusion.

"When I was here, I was consumed by rage, self-loathing, and most of all loneliness. I couldn't bear to be alone with myself, and I made some pretty awful decisions in my quest to be... I dunno... loved?" Derek shrugged, as if he wasn't just admitting all his faults. "I fucked up. People died. People I really cared for. I'll never forgive myself, but I've gotten to the point where people forgive me. You know why?"

"No." Theo swallowed around the lump in his throat and blinked away the beginning of tears.

"Because I deserve it." Derek smiled. "Because I earned it. Because I am a good man, and I definitely wasn't before. I was a broken and damaged boy in a man's body. And all it took was one boy, just as broken and damaged as I was, to show me... to make me realize that I could fix it. And that I should, because I deserve to be happy." Derek stood and gripped Theo's shoulder almost painfully. "I deserve to be loved."

"And you want to tell me..."  Theo huffed angrily, barely suppressing a growl, "me, who your fucking uncle said he admired for my manipulation, deserves that?  You want me to believe I deserve _anything_ except for the hell that they - that _he_  tore me out of?"

Derek squeezed Theo's shoulder harder in warning and bent down to whisper in his ear.

"I don't know."  Derek's voice was a gentle whisper, barely loud enough for Theo to dechiper, despite the proximity.  "But now the rest of the house knows how remorseful and self-punishing you are for those actions."

Derek grinned and stood, causing Theo to observe how much quieter the house had grown in the past few minutes.

Stiles, Chris and the Sheriff were still cackling and shrieking in go-kart battle, but Peter wasn't even paying attention to the course.  Instead he was staring straight at Theo with considering, yet exasperated look.

Melissa and Lydia were huddled together whispering as they threw glances in his direction.  He could make out his own name and Liam's, but not much else 

The lovebirds from London were hugging each other with emotional expressions, unable to tear their eyes from the hallmark moment transpiring in the kitchen.  They each could relate all too well.

The most prominent faces were that of Scott and Malia, who were just inside the sliding door or the backyard, still damp from the pool.  They stood, hand in hand, staring across the room into the kitchen.

Malia seemed irritated, but sympathetic.  She looked seconds away from snarling at him, but also like she could see right through him, and understood what he was feeling.

Scott looked like he was going to cry with pity.  Theo fought the urge to roll his eyes at how the Alpha felt the need to save everybody.

"Dunno bout you," Derek spoke, garnering his attention once more, "but I feel like that's at least a start."

Theo nodded at him and then looked down, not wanting to see how much of the living room's attention was still on them.

"Presents!"  Malia shouted, startling the members of the room who hadn't been aware of the tension.  "We got Derek presents!"

"Noooo!"  Derek chuckled at her thinly veiled attempt to draw the attention away from Theo's discomfort.  "You guys shouldn't have.  You've already done way too much!"

"Don't be silly, Derbear."  Peter joked.  "You've officially joined me in the 30's club!  That's cause for celebration!"

"Dude."  Mason laughed, entering from outside, dripping wet with Liam and Corey in tow.  "I thought you were like 50."

Malia and Derek barked out wild, uncontrollable, identical laughs at that, and soon the entire room was in hysterics, ignoring Peter's shout of "I'm 38, you assholes!"

Theo went to the pantry and pulled out the two boxes they had hidden in there before Derek's arrival.  He walked back to Derek as everyone piled into the kitchen to watch.

"Thanks for being here, Derek."  Theo smiled warmly and handed over the packages.  "Happy birthday."

"And before any of you jobless mooches claim this is from you..."  Jackson shouted, despite Ethan trying to clamp a hand over his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah."  Malia interrupted with a dismissing wave of the hand.  "Jackson and Ethan paid for it, but we all picked it out. Plus they're rich, so it only made sense."

"Thank you, guys."  Derek chuckled, looking directly at Jackson with a grateful smile.

Derek opened his presents, which were a new cell phone and laptop.  Chris and the Sheriff chorused out, 'Thank God' at the cell phone.  Derek promptly flashed his fangs at them.

Theo stepped back and watched, content, as they all gathered around to show Derek the cool things the Surface Pro could do when synced to his phone.

Stiles and Jackson fought over who got to show him what.  Everyone else laughed along as they talked over eachother.

Theo felt and smelled Liam's presence behind him before the younger wolf even spoke.

"Come out back with me?"  Liam whispered over Theo's shoulder.

Theo nodded without turning around.  When Liam passed him, Theo took a deep breath and followed, briefly locking eyes with Scott, who smiled hesitantly and nodded.

 

****

 

Theo's legs passed back and forth through the water as he sat at the edge of the pool. He leaned back, putting his weight on his elbows.

Liam sat next to him, cross-legged, picking at the thread on the sweater he had thrown on. It was the one Theo had been wearing after getting patched up the night before.

"Nice sweater."  Theo smirked.

Liam stopped fussing with it and shrugged, pulling the sleeves down past his hands.

"It was in the dryer.  It was convenient."  Liam sighed and crossed his arms.  "Anyway.  You and Derek looked chummy."

"Excuse me?"  Theo's eyes flew wide open and his smirk grew into a full, joyous grin.  "Are you seriously jealous right now?"

"Nooooo."  Liam pouted.  "No.  I'm just... gah." Liam covered his face with his sweater paws and when he resurfaced, Theo was drawn to the disgruntled pout on his friend's face and his chest was filled with the most uncomfortable tension and longing he'd ever felt.

"God," Theo exhaled,  "I want to kiss you again so fucking badly."

Liam stared back at him, his mouth agape, but was interrupted before he could respond.

"AGAIN?!"

"Dammit Mason."

Theo and Liam sat up straight and looked around toward the bushes, where Corey and Mason rematerialized out of thin air, holding hands.

"Heyyyy guys..."  Mason trailed off with a sheepish smile.

 


	2. You Take In Everything with a Certainty I Envy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh darling all of these awkward jump-start-stalling conversations,  
> Mean much more to me than anything,  
> So it comes down to me and you and,  
> Whether we're supposed to or not, we will."  
> -The Tension and the Terror, Straylight Run

"Mason!"  Liam growled.

"Liam!"  Mason mocked back.  "We were here first.  We just," Mason shrugged, "decided to stay and be nosy?  And boy do I not regret it.  When were you going to tell me you kissed Theo?"  Mason was shouting excitedly at this point.

"Oh my god, Mason."  Liam threw his head back in exasperation.  He gritted his teeth "There is a house full of werewolves like ten yards away.  You couldn't have possibly said that any louder."

Mason, Theo and Corey turned their attention to the sliding glass door to the living room, where Jackson, Malia and Peter had their faces all but pressed to the glass, watching the confrontation go down.  They all pulled away from the door in a embarrassingly futile attempt to look like they hadn't been watching.

Theo could hear Lydia and Stiles in the background yelling, 'What are they saying?!' as Scott hissed at them to mind their own business.

"Oops."  Mason shrugged defensively.  "I forgot!  Just kind of huuuuge news here.  I mean, it's Theo!  I know he's like..." Mason gestured wildly, at a loss of words.

"We know he's cool now," Corey helped his boyfriend by interrupting, "but I mean, we didn't know it was like  _that_ with you guys.  Not that I'm against it!"

"Yeah."  Mason nodded thankfully at Corey before turning to Liam.  "We knew he was your anchor or whatever, but we didn't know you felt the same way he feels about you"

"Guys, guys, guys, and all you losers eavesdropping inside, just stop."  Theo interrupted their rambling.  "We have literally had like  _zero_ discussions about our feelings, ever.  Ever.  Mostly due to being interrupted by you two.  And Stiles."  Theo glared at the sliding glass door again.  "Someone please tell Stiles I said 'fuck you.'"

Theo struggled not to smile when he heard Derek happily pass on the message and then let out a small 'oof.'  He assumed that was Stiles sucker punching him, because it was followed by Stiles scolding himself, 'why did I suggest you make friends with him, again?'

Corey turned bright red under Liam's glare and then disappeared suddenly, leaving Mason standing alone stammering out an apology.

Theo heard Liam start to growl.  He felt himself being yanked off the ground, and could barely get his footing before he was being dragged toward the side yard.

"Watch my house, Mason."  Liam shouted as they exited the yard out to the street. "Don't let Peter touch anything."

Theo heard Jackson and Malia's laughter from inside as Liam started off down the street at a furious pace.

"Liam c'mon.  Slow down."  Theo slipped out the vicelike grip Liam had on his arm, as soon as they were a few houses away.  He attempted to thread their fingers together instead.  "Liam, please stop."

Liam slowed slightly, and held Theo's hand, but kept walking purposefully.

"Just a bit further, I promise."  Liam grunted out, and led them around the turn at the end of the street.

The sun was just starting to set on the horizon as Theo looked down the street and saw a small park with benches and an older looking playground a few houses up, so he followed along dutifully.

 

****

 

Liam paced back and forth in front of Theo in the dark, mumbling about his best friend and the other nosy members of his pack.

They had been at the park for 15 minutes or so, and it had taken Liam the entire duration of the sunset to stop fuming, but then he had started pacing and ranting.

He had resumed his earlier pouting and Theo couldn't help but be endeared and mesmerized by the creature before him.

Theo sat on a bench and continued to watch Liam wear a line in the grass.  The temperamental wolf reared his attention to Theo, stopping in his tracks.

"I don't understand why I can't just get a few moments alone in my own house."  Liam shouted.  "I don't know why I keep feeling like I have the least information about my own life out of everyone in my pack.  Did everyone know you had feelings for me?"

"Wasn't hiding it."  Theo shrugged.

"And I'm guessing you knew you were my anchor even before I said so yesterday." Liam threw his hands up in the air in frustration when Theo shrugged again.

"Just because I help you, doesn't mean you actually feel anything for me!"  Theo defended his silence of the past couple weeks about that knowledge.

Liam stomped away toward the playground and took a seat on a swing, Theo following close behind.

Theo opted out of the swing next to Liam, and instead leaned against the pole of the swing set furthest from the younger teen.

"Dude. I don't know what we're supposed to do with everyone in our business all the time." Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Dude." Theo mimicked, a small smirk making its way into his face. "You're a pack. That's just how it is.  And we don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

Liam looked up at him in confusion.

"Liam, I'm really happy." Theo choked around his words, foreign as they were to his lips. "I don't remember ever being this happy. Despite the angst and the arguing with you and pining over you and fucking death all around us..." Theo pushed off the swingset frame and walked over to Liam. He crouched down in front of him and gripped the sides of the swing, forcing Liam to look down at him, face honest, open, and scared. "I am the happiest I've ever been in my life, everyday that you're within ten feet of me."

"Yeah." Liam gulped. "Me too. And it's fucking weird."

"Thanks, douchebag." Theo grinned, grabbing Liam's knees instead of the chains to his side's. "I'm just saying.  Yeah.  That's enough for me."

"Don't you want more?"  Liam's eyebrows shot up at Theo's certainty with their situation.  "Aren't you the one who was freaking out about how we didn't get to have that like six hours ago?  How are you suddenly so sure that we're not going to fuck this up?"

"Well, first of all, I'm a drama queen.  And Derek gave me a pep talk about how everyone's done some fucked up shit, I'm just sort of the best at it."  Theo smirked wider.  "And fuck yeah, Liam, even though I don't deserve it, I want to wake up next to you everyday.  I wanna eat breakfast with you.  I want to tease you and piss you off. Sometimes, I am absolutely going to want to kiss you just like this morning, and way _way_ more."

Liam blushed and rolled his eyes.  He looked down at where Theo was gripping his knees. He put his hands on top of Theo's as he bit his lip and looked up at him from under his lashes, waiting for him to go on.

"But seriously, when you said that you'd take whatever I could give you..." Theo tightened his grip minutely, dragging his thumbs against Liam's hands on top of his, smile never leaving his face. "I want you to know that I would give you anything you wanted.  As little or as much of me as you want.  Its yours without hesitation.  And yeah. That is absolutely fucking weird."

They looked at each other, smiling, but nervous, for what felt like minutes before Liam spoke.

"I'm pretty sure of one thing I do want."  Liam grinned mischeviously at him and surged forward to press his lips against Theo's, both of them smiling too much to really kiss each other properly.

They laughed into eachothers mouths as Liam pushed off the swing to tackle Theo into the sand.

"Fuck, Liam."  Theo sqwaked as they pulled apart from the adorable failure of a kiss.  "Getting sand in my shorts wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to kiss you again."

"Well fine!"  Liam huffed teasingly, trying to get up from where he was straddling Theo in the middle to the sandbox.  Theo locked his arms around him and held him in place as he laughed and struggled weakly to get up.

"But any kiss from you is good enough for me."  Theo chuckled, trying to catch Liam's lips again, but the werewolf kept dodging and laughing until he broke out of Theo's grip.

"You're so lame."  Liam stood and brushed stand off of himself, purposefully getting it on the chimera below him.

"Fuck you!"  Theo squealed, brushing sand off his face and chest, flailing in a very un-manly fashion.

"I think we're moving a bit fast for that."  Liam wagged his eyebrows suggestively.  "I have to insist you at least make me dinner first."  He winked and started jogging backwards in the direction of the house.  "And to do that, you'll have to see if I actually let you _in_ the house."

Theo sprung up from the ground and started after him.  Liam smirked as he turned around and started sprinting home, Theo hot on his heels.

And when they got home to Mason and Corey cleaning up the house stating that they kicked everyone else out (they were exhausted and went willingly) as an apology, and Theo insisted he'd make a late dinner for all four of them...

Liam had never felt more certain about anything in his life.

 


End file.
